Back Track- Story Twenty: My's Alternate Season 4
by Mychand
Summary: Caitlin is found walking on the side of a nearly deserted road with no memory of how she got there or of the events that occurred the previous five hours before she was picked up. String and Saint John have disappeared. It's up to Dom and Doc to help Caitlin trace her steps and try to recall what happened. Will she remember before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Dom had tossed and turned in his bed for nearly an hour before he finally drifted off to sleep. He and the whole crew had gone out for drinks that evening and it left him with a bad stomach ache. As soon as he settled into a deep sleep, he was awakened by the loud ring of the phone on his nightstand.

"This had better be good," he said loudly as he picked up the receiver and listened for the caller to comment.

"I'm afraid it's not good," replied Michael. "Dominick, I need you to get up to the Firm's clinic as soon as possible. We have a situation that needs your immediate attention. I'll explain as soon as you get here."

Dom jumped out of bed and threw on the clothes he had worn earlier that evening. He was at the clinic in no time, nearly running down the main hall to find Michael.

"What's going on Michael?" he asked as soon as he saw him. "Is everyone okay?"

Michael shook his head. "I don't really know," he replied. "We got word that Caitlin was picked up an hour ago out on Old Miller Road by an off duty police officer who lives in the area."

"What was she doing way out there?" asked Dom. "That's not exactly the safest area of town."

"That's what he thought when he picked her up," replied Michael. "To top it all off she had blood all over her hands as well as her clothes."

"My God, was she hurt?" Dom asked showing his concern.

"No, apparently it wasn't her blood," replied Michael. "We're running some tests to see if we can find a match to it in our data bases."

"Doesn't Cait know whose blood it is?" asked Dom.

"That's the problem Dominick," said Archangel. "Caitlin can't seem to recall the events that happened to her from the time you all left the bar she said you were at until the officer picked her up. Dr. Sims thinks it may be some sort of repression. Something painful happened and she's unconsciously blocking it from her memory."

Dom's concern was growing. "Michael, she left with String and Saint John," he said. "Have you heard from them?"

"No, they're no were to be found," he replied. "My gut tells me that the blood on Caitlin's hands might be String's."

Dom felt his legs grow weak. "No," he said. "If she had blood all over her, String could be in pretty bad shape."

Michael sighed. "Would you like to see Cait?" he asked. "Maybe talking to you will help her."

"Sure," he replied as Michael led him down the hall to a small treatment room.

When Dom and Michael walked into the room, Caitlin was lying on her side in the bed. She was staring at the wall across from her.

"Cait," said Dom as he walked over to her. She sat up on the bed and he pulled her into a hug. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied. "Dom, I can't seem to remember what happened after we left the bar. I keep trying to remember but I can't. All I can recall is walking down this dirt road and seeing the lights of car. That's when the patrol officer picked me up. I don't know where String and Saint John are Dom. That scares me."

Dom hugged her again. "It's okay honey," he replied trying to soothe her fears. "We'll find them and figure this all out."

Marella knocked on the door and then slowly peeked into the room. "I need to speak with you for a moment," she said to Michael.

"Okay, I'll be right back," he advised Cait and Dom.

Michael slipped out into the hallway. He could tell by the look on Marella's face that her news wasn't going to be good."

"We got a match on the blood," she said somberly. "You were right. It's String. Whatever happened to him, he apparently hemorrhaged pretty badly."

"It had to be bad for her to block it from her memory like this," replied Michael. "I have a bad feeling that if we don't find them soon, we might not find either one of them alive."

"Are you going to tell her about the blood?" asked Marella.

"Not unless she asks," he replied. "I think deep down she knows already."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Back in her room, Dom was still trying to comfort Caitlin who was growing more concerned about String and Saint John. "We've got to find them Dom," she said. "They couldn't have just disappeared."

"We will," he tried to assure her. "First I need to get back to Santini Air. Maybe they went back there or left us some sort of a message."

"That's a good idea," she replied. "You should go check. Besides, Doc is flying in and should be there in a couple of hours."

"I forgot about Doc," Dom said as Michael came back into the room. "I'm sure we can use his help in all of this."

"I'm having my people check out a two mile radius of the area that Caitlin was found in," said Michael. "See what you can find out at Santini Air and meet me back here with Doc as soon as he gets in."

Dom shook his head. "You got it," he replied as he gave Caitlin a kiss on the cheek. "Hang in there sweetheart. I'll be back soon and we'll go and find them."

Michael followed Dom out into the hallway. He waited until the door to Caitlin's room was closed before he spoke. "We got an ID on the blood," he said softly. "I'm afraid it's String's."

Dom frowned and sighed deeply. "I had a feeling it was," he replied. "I was hoping I was wrong though."

"I have a lot of my people on this one," said Michael. "I'll do everything I can on my end to find out what happened," he promised. "If anything comes up while you're gone, I'll call you."


	2. Chapter 2

_**FYI: Much of this story will be told in "flashbacks" based on Caitlin's memories. All flashback scenes will be represented in italicized print.**_

**Chapter 2**

Dom knew it was a long shot that there would be any communication from String and Saint John at Santini Air. Still, he had hoped he would be able to find something on their whereabouts when he got there. Finding the place the same as when they left it that evening, he sat down and began to make phone calls to people they knew. "They are all going to love me for calling them this early in the morning," he thought to himself sarcastically.

Getting nowhere with his calls, Dom waited patiently for Doc. He was happy when Doc came in an hour earlier than planned. Dom filled him in on what he knew of the event of the evening and explained that Caitlin was found on the side of the road with no memory of what had happened.

"Was Caitlin hurt in any way?" asked Doc.

Dom knew what he was referring to. "No, they didn't harm her except it does appear that she may have either jumped or was pushed from a vehicle," he said. "She has some minor cuts and bruises on her arms and legs."

"That's good to hear;" replied Doc. "Whatever happened must have been pretty traumatic."

Dom sighed. "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," he said sadly. "The only thing I can think of that would be that traumatic to her besides being harmed herself would be if…" His voice trailed off. He couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"If she saw String die," Doc said softly.

"Yeah," replied Dom. "I can't think of anything else. His blood was all over her hands and on her clothes. It had to have been bad."

"We don't know for sure he's dead though," said Doc.

"No, we don't," said Dom. "But we are left with so many questions like if he's dead, where is the body? If someone had taken them, how did Caitlin get away? If it was some kind of accident, where are they?"

The two quickly headed up to the clinic to talk with Michael and check on Caitlin. Michael greeted them and immediately began to fill them in on what his men were able to find out.

"Anything new Michael?" asked Dom.

"Caitlin's car was still up at the bar," said Michael. "It doesn't appear they ever got in it. Dom, did they leave the same time as you?"

"No," sighed Dom. "I wasn't feeling well so I left early and took a cab."

"Well, the bartender said that they closed the place with another pilot name Sampson," replied Michael. "He said they all left together."

"Anything else?" asked Doc. "Dom said you were searching the area where Caitlin was picked up."

"Yes," replied Michael. "We found traces of blood about a half mile from where Cait was found. There are a several sets of tire tracks in that area. Apparently teenagers like to hang out and race out there. We're still searching for additional clues."

"How is Caitlin doing?" asked Dom.

"Physically, she's fine," replied Michael. "She wants to get out and help look for them. I figured she can go with the two of you. She should be dressed and out here in a few minutes."

Doc and Dom waited for Caitlin to be released from the clinic. When she came out of the room she'd been in, she immediately hugged the two men. "I'm so glad you're here Doc," she said.

"Me too," he replied. "I just with it was under better circumstances. String and I were going to do a little fishing."

Doc could see that Caitlin was trying hard to hold back the tears. He could tell that the past evening had taken a major toll on the pretty red head. He put his arm around her waist to comfort her. "It's going to be okay," he said softly. "We'll find them no matter how long it takes."

"But how?" asked Caitlin. "For some reason I can't seem to remember what happened out there."

"We'll take it one step at a time," replied Doc. "Normally I'd say we back track your steps but since you can't recall them, we'll start at the beginning. I say we drive out to the bar. Maybe being there will help to jog your memory."

Caitlin felt herself subconsciously tense up. Doc tightened his grip on her. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy task and that he and Dom would have to be there to support her.

"I guess we have no other choice," replied Caitlin. "Let's go."

The two escorted her to Santini's jeep and they headed out to the bar. None of them spoke on the way there as each seemed to be deep in thought over their missing friends.

Once they got to the bar, Dom helped Caitlin out of the jeep and they walked up to the front door. Doc watched as Caitlin suddenly stopped and turned towards the parking lot. Dom was about to ask her what was wrong but Doc put his finger on his lips to stop him from speaking and disrupting her thoughts.

Caitlin felt her mind flash back to the moment they left the bar.

_"I think you two should come and stay out my place tonight," said Saint John. "You're in no condition to fly all the way up to the cabin."_

_Caitlin smiled. "What are you talking about?" she said. "You're the one who had over a half dozen beers. I only had one drink."_

_"Oh, yeah," said Saint John. "Well, take me home then."_

_Caitlin laughed. "I am," she replied while wrapping her arm around String's waist. "I think staying would be a good idea though. String here looks like he's about to pass out."_

_"I'm fine," String objected. "What about you Sampson? You need a ride?"_

_"I think that just might be a good idea," said Sampson. "If you don't mind."_

_"No, we don't mind at all," replied Caitlin as the four headed to car in the back of the parking lot._

Caitlin turned back around and faced Dom and Doc. "I remember leaving here last night," she said. "We asked Sampson if he wanted a ride too. He had almost as many drinks as Saint John did."

"How much do you recall?" asked Doc.

"So far, I can only remember walking out to the car," she replied. "We had parked way out in the back because we got there late and the place was crowded. The guys had a bit too much to drink so I was the designated driver."

"Let's walk back there," said Doc as Caitlin froze. "It's okay Cait. I know this isn't easy."

"I'm okay," she replied. "Let's go out there and look."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Caitlin followed Dom and Doc to the back parking lot where her car was still parked.

"Do you have your keys?" asked Doc.

Caitlin opened her purse and looked through it. "No," she said. "I don't. I always take them out before I leave anywhere so they would have been in my hand as I left last night."

Caitlin walked over to her car and put her hand on it. She ran her fingers across the trunk as her mind drifted back to that night.

_"What time is it?" asked Saint John. "Isn't there another bar we can go to?"_

_"Saint John, you are in no shape to go anywhere but home," replied Caitlin. "Let's get going."_

_"Yes, mom," teased Saint John as he stumbled towards the back of the car and jumped up onto the trunk._

_"Get down from there," she scolded him. "I don't want your butt print on my trunk."_

_The other two men started laughing uncontrollably. "You really think he's got that big of a butt?" asked String. "Oh wait, didn't your friend Lisa Ann tell him that he did?"_

_Caitlin couldn't help but laugh although she was getting a little annoyed with the three intoxicated men. "Yeah, she did," she replied. "He spent the next two weeks asking me if his butt looked big in the jeans he was wearing."_

_Sampson doubled over with laughter. "You guys are too funny," he said. "Saint John I didn't know you were a girl."_

Caitlin pulled her hand off of the trunk and looked at Dom and Doc. "I remember we were having a great time as we left," she replied. "Well, I guess you could call it that. The guys were pretty drunk or at least they acted like they were. Everyone was picking on Saint John who was pretty intoxicated."

"Well, obviously you made it out to the car then," said Dom. "But you apparently never got into it."

Caitlin took a deep breath and walked over towards the driver's side of the car. She checked the door handle to see if maybe the car was unlocked. To her surprise it was. She opened it and peered inside as another memory came back to her.

_A dark van pulled into the parking lot and stopped quickly behind Caitlin's car. The screeching tires startled them. Before the group knew what was happening, four men jumped out and accosted them. They were pulled inside the van at gunpoint and thrown down in the back._

_"What the hell is going on?" asked String. "Who are you?"_

_"That's not important right now," said one of the men that they overheard them call Shorty. _

_"What do you want with us?" asked Sampson. "If it's our money, take it and let us go."_

_Shorty laughed. "We don't need your money," he replied. "We need you. You'll find out soon enough what we want with you. Now sit down and shut up."_

Caitlin felt her legs go weak and she thought she was going to pass out. Doc grabbed her and kept her from wavering. "Are you okay?" he asked. "What is it?"

Caitlin's voice was shaky. "I remember a black van of some kind," she replied. "We were all laughing and carrying on when it pulled up right behind us. Four men got out and made us go with them."

Dom cringed. "Well, at least we know why your car is still here," he replied. "Do you recall anything else?"

Caitlin shook her head. "I just keep seeing those four men with guns. They nearly took my arm off pulling me into the van. They said they needed us for something and we'd have to wait to find out what."

Doc could tell that Caitlin was having a difficult time. "Let's go and take a break," he said. "How about we get some brunch and relax a bit?"

Dom shook his head, "Yeah, I think that's a good idea," he said knowing that Caitlin needed to get out of that parking lot.

"Thanks guys," she said. "That's a good idea."

Michael met up with the three at a local diner. They sat at a table in the back and gave Archangel and overview of what they had learned so far from Caitlin's memories.

"So, now we need to figure out if it was a random kidnapping or if they were targeted for some reason," he said.

"How could it be random if they said they needed them and not their money," asked Dom.

Doc spoke up. "Isn't that bar a hangout for pilots?" he asked. "Maybe they wanted a pilot."

"Could be," replied Michael. "Still, I'll do a check to see if there is anyone out there who might want to snatch the Hawke brothers."

"Check out Sampson too," said Caitlin. "He's a pilot as well. Did anyone notify his family?"

"I did," replied Michael. "His wife is devastated. She's eight months pregnant. He had gone out there with his brother to celebrate his birthday and the brother left early just like Dom did. She had expected him home earlier and panicked when he never showed up."

Caitlin sighed. "I met her once," she said as her mind drifted once again to the night before.

_"I don't care who you are," said Sampson. "Whatever you want me for, I'm not going to be a part of. You let me out of this van right now._

_Shorty smirked. "You're playing with the wrong people mister," he said coldly. "Sadly you'll never live to regret it."_

_Shorty reached over and put the gun to Sampson's head and immediately pulled the trigger._

Caitlin nearly jumped out of her seat at the memory. "Oh my God," she said nearly sobbing. "He's dead."

"Who's dead?" asked Dom. "What do you remember?"

"Sampson," she said softly. "They shot him in the head because he demanded they let him out of the van."

Dom reached over and hugged Caitlin tight. He could feel she was shaking at the memory. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "It's okay now."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Caitlin, did you get a look at any of the their faces?" asked Michael.

"No, they were wearing masks and it was dark in the back of that van," she said. "I think I need some air."

Doc got up from his seat and took Caitlin's hand. "Let's go outside for a few minutes," he said.

Caitlin smiled. "Thanks," she said. "I feel like such a big baby. What's wrong with me?"

Doc motioned for her to follow him out of the diner. They walked over to the jeep and leaned against it.

"Doc," she said. "I know what's going on. People just don't forget five hours of their lives. I have to be repressing it for a reason and that scares the hell out of me."

Doc leaned over and gave Caitlin a hug. "I know," he replied. "Dom and I are here for you. I hope you know that. Whatever happens or whatever you remember, you've got friends who care about you."

Caitlin smiled. "Thanks," she said. "I consider myself lucky in that respect. You've always been a good friend to me and to String."

Caitlin grew quiet for several minutes before she continued. "I think something bad happened to him Doc," she said referring to String.

"My heart says no but my head knows the reality of it," she continued. "Why else would I block out the memories? Did they tell you I had blood on my hands when they found me?"

"Yeah, they did," he said.

"I made Marella tell me if it was his blood," she said. "I knew she didn't want to tell me but I had to know. If he's still alive, he's hurt badly."

Doc put his arm over her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. "We have to have faith," he said. "I know you'll eventually remember."

"I know I will," she said softly as a tear ran down her cheek.

Doc reached up and wiped away the tear as Dom and Michael came out to join them.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" asked Dom as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

"I don't know Dom," she replied hugging him back. "I'm just thankful that I have you guys here to help me."

Michael shook his head. "I just talked to one of my men," he said. "There aren't any tire tracks that match those of van on the road you were picked up on. Apparently you were transferred to a car at some point and time. Being that there seems to be a five hour window from the time you were all picked up to the time you were found, it makes sense."

"If I could just recall what happened during that time maybe we could get some kind of lead as to who has them and where they are," she replied with an obvious frustrated tone in her voice. "How can I make myself remember?"

"I don't know that you can," said Doc. "From what I've read, these memories could take years to come back to you or be triggered spontaneously by something small just like when you touched the trunk of your car."

"So we need to continue to trace my steps," she said. "But we don't know where I was so it seems like we've hit a wall."

"Why don't we take you to the cabin?" asked Dom. "Maybe if you're in a safe environment things will start to come back to you."

"That's a good idea," said Doc.

Caitlin shook her head. "Yeah, I'd like that. These clothes Marella gave me to wear are nice but I'd really like to get into something of my own."

The three went back to Santini Air to get a helicopter so they could fly up to the cabin. Caitlin stared out at the ground beneath her at first and then turned to look at Dom who was piloting the craft. Suddenly her mind once again shifted back to the night before.

_"Damn it Shorty why did you do that?" asked one of the men. "We needed him."_

_"We still have two more," he said. "Three if the lady is a pilot."_

_String pulled Caitlin to him and wrapped his arm around her. "The lady isn't a pilot," he said softly._

_String could feel that Caitlin was shaking. He tightened his grip on her and tried to comfort her._

_"Too bad," said Shorty. "I like female pilots."_

_"Focus Shorty," demanded one of the other men. "Now we need to dispose of this guy."_

_"Let's just dump him to the river," said Shorty. "It'll take days for them to find him and we'll be long gone by then."_

_Hearing the conversation, the driver of the van spoke up. "Okay," he said. "The river it is."_

Caitlin turned back and looked back at the ground below. "Sampson is in the river," she said softly. "They dumped him there not long after they shot him."

"I'll call Michael when we get to the cabin," said Doc as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're doing great Caitlin."

"No I'm not," she said as the tears began to fall down her face. "I feel like I'm falling apart. What if they find String out there too?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When they got to the cabin, Caitlin went and sat on the porch steps. It was late afternoon and she was exhausted due to lack of sleep. "Honey, why don't you go in and take a nap," said Dom. "Maybe you'll feel a little better when you wake up.

Caitlin tried to smile. "Okay," she replied. "I don't think I can keep my eyes open much longer anyway."

She got up slowly and made her way upstairs to the loft. She changed into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a tank top and climbed into bed. As she lay on her side, she pulled String's pillow to her and hugged it tightly, taking in the scent that was left behind from his sleeping on it. She loved how he smelled and was intoxicated by it every time she cuddled with him. She drifted off to sleep thinking about the last time she was with him in the loft.

Downstairs Dom made a pot of coffee and he and Doc sat at the bar to discuss the situation.

"I'm really worried about her Doc," said Dom. "I know she's scared but sooner or later I think she's going to recall what happened to String. Judging from the blood found on her hands and clothes, it doesn't look good."

Doc sighed. "I know," he replied. "She's trying so hard to keep it together but it's taking its toll on her."

"I think it's taking a toll on all of us," replied Dom. "I love String like a son. I can't think about the possibility of him being dead. I just don't believe that he is."

"I hope your right," said Doc. "I really do."

Several hours later, the two men decided to make a small dinner and moved to sit outside on the front porch. Caitlin had slept for quite awhile and they decided to give her as much time as she needed to rest.

Just before sunset, Michael came up to the cabin to check on Caitlin and fill the men in on the latest information.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," he told them. "We found Sampson's body. Caitlin was right. They shot him in the head. He apparently died instantly. I just got back from talking to his wife."

"I'm sorry to hear that Michael," said Doc. "At least we know that what she's remembering is factual."

"How is she doing?" asked Archangel. "Where is she?"

"She's sleeping," replied Dom. "I'm sure she'll be up soon. She's been up there for quite awhile."

Caitlin heard the Firm's helicopter land. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Tears ran down her face as she once again pulled String's pillow close to her.

_"No more shooting unless necessary Shorty," said one of the men they called Slim. "I know we only really need one of them but we can't have dead bodies all over the place leading the cops back to us."_

_"I don't get why we had to take all four of them in the first place," said another man that they called Tek. "I mean if we only needed one, we should've just taken one."_

_"If we would've just taken one, the others would have followed," said Shorty. "Even I know that. Quit worrying about the cops. We have two pilots left and soon we'll be heading down to Mexico. That body is way down the river by now and no one will connect it to us."_

_The van stopped and all four men jumped out, pushing String, Saint John and Caitlin with them. It was dark but with the slight glow of the quarter moon, Caitlin could tell they were on some kind of farm. _

Caitlin sat up in the bed and quickly made her way downstairs. She heard the men taking out on the porch and went out to join them.

"Cait," said Doc, "How are you feeling?"

"A little more rested," she said trying to convince him she was better. "But, I remembered something else."

"What is it?" asked Michael.

"I remember that after they took Sampson's body to the river, they drove us out to some farm," she stated. "I'm not sure where it's at but it was definitely a farm."'

"I'll have my people start a search of all the farms in proximity to where you were found," said Michael. "At least this gives us something to go on."

Caitlin shuddered. "Look guys," she said. "I think I'm going walk down by the lake for awhile. I need some time alone to think."

"Okay," replied Michael. "I'm heading out for now. I call if we find out anything new."

"Thanks Michael," said Caitlin as she gave him a hug before turning and heading down to the lake. When she got to the water's edge, she stopped and sat down on an old fallen log. She looked up at all the stars shining brightly in the sky while trying desperately to recall more about the night before.

"No!" she suddenly screamed before she was even aware that she had done so. "No!"

Dom and Doc ran down to the where Cait was sitting. She stood up and nearly ran into Dom's arms. He hugged her tightly and could feel her trembling.

"What is it?" he asked. "Do you remember more?"

"I don't know," she said as the tears ran down her face. "I just keep seeing String's face. It's pale and he looks like he's in pain."

"Can you recall what happened to him?" asked Doc.

Caitlin pulled away from Dom and turned towards Doc. "No," she said sadly. "All I see is his face. It's not good. I know it's not."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next morning Caitlin woke to the smell of breakfast waffling up towards the loft. She climbed out of bed and took a shower before coming downstairs to join Doc and Dom.

"Are you hungry?" asked Dom. "I fixed you a plate and left it on the stove."

"Not really," she replied. "But, I guess I should try and eat something."

Dom went over to the stove and brought the plate over to her at the bar. "Here you go," he said. "Want some coffee?"

"That would be great," she replied as she took a bite of bacon.

Doc was relieved to see that Caitlin was eating and that she didn't seem as pale as she had the night before. He still couldn't help worrying about her.

Caitlin nearly jumped out of her skin when the phone rang. Dom quickly ran over and picked up the receiver.

"Good morning Michael," he said. "Any news?"

The others watched as Dom listened intensely to what Michael was telling him.

"Okay," he said. "We'll meet you there in about an hour."

"What's going on?" asked Doc. "Did they find anything?"

Dom let out a deep sigh. "Well, they found the abandoned farm about six miles from where Caitlin was picked up," he said. "They are pretty sure the tracks outside the main barn were from a van. He said there was blood and it looked like something was hauled out of there."

"Are we going out there?" asked Caitlin.

Doc moved beside her and put his arm around her while Dom continued.

"Yeah," he replied. "He's hoping that seeing the place will jog your memory some more."

"Are you up for it?" asked Doc.

Caitlin shrugged her shoulders. "Do I have a choice?" she asked knowing the answer. "We need to know what happened. I'm the only one of us who knows the answers. I'll go and get dressed."

"Eat a little more first," demanded Dom. "You'll need the energy."

Caitlin reached over and gave Dom a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Pop," she teased. "I'll finish my breakfast first if you'll get that worried look off of your face."

Dom tried to smile back. He couldn't help but think about how strong Caitlin really was. She never ceased to amaze him. "Okay," he replied. "I'll try."

Within the hour, the three were headed out to meet with Michael. Dom called ahead and got the coordinates and they landed in a field near the old barn. Caitlin slowly climbed out of the helicopter and held on to Dom's arm as they walked up to where Michael had parked his limo. About a dozen of his men were continuing to search for clues in and around the old building.

"We're pretty sure this is where you were held," said Michael as they approached him. "Would you like to go inside?"

Caitlin was hesitant at first. She had a firm hold on Dom's arms as they slowly made their way inside the barn. Once inside she stopped suddenly. A wave of fear washed over her.

"Cait, are you okay?" asked Dom as felt her tighten her grip on him.

_The men pushed Caitlin and the brothers into the barn and onto a stack of hay that lay in the corner._

_"Stay there," said Tek as he continued to point his gun at them. "Slim, go and get some rope to tie them up."_

_Shorty walked over to Caitlin. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to her feet. "I want to tie this one up in private," he said while laughing and pointing a gun at her._

_String was growing angry. He knew Shorty had a short fuse so he tried hard to remain calm. "Please don't hurt her," he said softly._

_"Oh, I'm not going to hurt her," he replied. "I'm just going to have a little fun with her." Shorty moved Caitlin up against the wall and pushed his hand down her shirt. Caitlin tried to force him off of her but he held the gun to her head._

_"No!" yelled String as he jumped up and headed for Shorty. Before he got to him, Tek pulled the trigger and shot String in the side._

_Saint John started to get up and help his brother but Tek warned him not to move._

_Caitlin screamed and Shorty backed off when the leader of their group, Max came running into the barn._

_"What the hell is going on here?" he asked. "Don't any of you have any sense? We can't have a trail of bodies leading the cops back to us. We also need a pilot. We're sitting on the best opportunity of our lives and you all are going to blow it."_

_Shorty let go of Caitlin and she ran over to String and cradled him in her arms. "Oh my God String," she said while sobbing. "Please don't die on me."_

_"Move them all into the shed until I figure out what we're going to do with this mess," demanded Max._

_Two of the men picked String up and they ushered Caitlin and Saint John into the shed along with him. They turned on the small light inside and locked them in. After the men left, Saint John took off his shirt and he and Caitlin attempted to get the bleeding from String's wound under control._

_"String can you hear me?" asked Caitlin._

_String opened his eyes slightly and looked up at her. "Hurts like hell," he said softly._

_"I know," she replied as she held his head in her lap. "You just hang in there. We'll figure some way to get us all out of here."_

Caitlin felt her legs grow weak. "String was shot," she said bluntly. "They locked us in a shed out back. I remember we were trying to stop the bleeding."

"That explains the blood we found in the shed," said Michael. "Do you recall anything else?"

"No," she replied trying hard to fight back the tears. "I just know it was bad."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Dom walked Caitlin back outside of the barn and helped her up into the jeep so she could sit down for a few minutes. "Take it easy," he told her as he sat down beside her and held her hand. Doc and Michael went around behind the barn to check out the shed.

"Do you want to go back there?" asked Dom.

"Not right now," Caitlin replied. "I don't think I can."

Caitlin closed her eyes as more visions began to intrude her thoughts.

_The men opened the door to the shed and rushed in. They grabbed Saint John and hand cuffed him behind his back. "Well, by process of elimination, you're our pilot," said Max. "You're going with me across the border to pick up the shipment that's waiting for us."_

_"What about them?" asked Saint John._

_"It's back to the river," laughed Shorty. "This one is about a goner already and I'll finally get to have my fun before I drown her."_

_"No more shooting," demanded Max. "Make her death look like she was trying to save her boyfriend and drowned."_

_"What's the difference now?" asked Shorty. "We've already killed two men, what's a third going to change?"_

_"Just shut up and do as I say," demanded Max. "Now get going."_

_Saint John tried to object but he was pulled out of the shed and taken to the barn where an old helicopter was being stored._

_Shorty and Tek picked up String while Slim grabbed Caitlin. They put them both in the trunk of a sedan and slammed it down. Caitlin could feel that String was shaking. She knew he was losing a lot of blood and she was helpless to stop it at that point. She felt around the trunk and was surprised when she found an internal emergency release._

_"String," she whispered. "There's a trunk release. We can jump out."_

_"You…..will….have….to….alone," he said barely able to speak as he was growing weaker._

_"No," she replied. "You're going with me."_

_"No….it's…..too….late…for me," he replied. "I…will…always….love…you…..Caitlin. Don't…you…..ever…forget that."_

_Caitlin began to cry. "I can't leave you," she said. "What chance will you have if I do?"_

_"No..chance…anyway," he said. "Please…..go. I need …to….know….you're safe."_

_Caitlin felt her world crashing down around her. She leaned over him and kissed him. "I will always love you too," said before pushing the trunk release button._

_The trunk lifted up slightly and Caitlin prayed that since it was so dark out they wouldn't notice that she slipped out. She raised it up just slightly and poised herself horizontally on the lip of the trunk before rolling out and onto the ground. She hit the ground hard but continued to roll off into a grassing ditch. She lay still for a few moments before slowly getting up and running into the wooded area beside the road to take cover in case they came back._

Dom watched as a wave of pain seemed to wash over Caitlin's face.

"Oh no," she said as she jumped out of the jeep and started running across the field by the barn.

"Caitlin!" yelled Dom as he ran behind her.

Hearing the commotion, Doc and Michael came from around the back of the barn and followed them.

Caitlin ran until she reached an old broken down fence. She leaned on it to keep herself from collapsing. Dom ran up behind her and grabbed her. He gently helped her sit down on the ground. Michael and Doc caught up with them quickly.

"What happened?" asked Doc.

Dom shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "She just got up and ran."

Caitlin began to sob. "He's dead," she said sadly. "We were in the trunk of a car. It had a release. He made me jump. He said it was too late for him. Oh my God, he had no chance," she said as the tears rushed down her face. "They were taking him to the river."

Michael shook his head. "My men have searched up and down that river for almost twenty four hours now," he said. "They haven't found anyone else but Sampson. Are you sure that's where they were going?"

"Yes," she sobbed. "They took Saint John so he could fly them across the border to pick up something."

"I'll get my men on it," said Michael as he turned around and left the group.

Caitlin grew quiet as Dom and Doc helped her up. They could feel her shaking uncontrollably.

"I think she's going into shock," said Doc. "Let's get her out of here."

The two men helped her back into the jeep. Dom drove while Doc sat it the back with Caitlin. He put his arm around her to help comfort her.

"I think we should go back to the cabin," said Dom.

"I agree," replied Doc. He wanted to say more but he didn't want to upset Caitlin further. He knew she needed to be in place that she felt safe and close to String. He was surprised at how strong Dom was being in the face of the news they just learned. "He's keeping it together for Caitlin," thought Doc. "We both have to."

They were all quiet on the flight up to the cabin. Doc watched as Caitlin seemed to withdraw more and more. When they landed on the dock, he watched as she climbed out on her own and walked to the cabin as if in some kind of trance. Dom trailed behind her. When he reached the steps, he stopped for a moment and turned around to sit down.

"Give me a minute alone will ya Doc," he asked.

"Sure," replied Doc as he followed Caitlin inside.

Dom leaned over and put his head in his hands. He tried desperately to keep himself together but he couldn't seem to stop the tears. "I'm going to miss you String," he said sadly. "But I promise I'll do everything in my power to take care of that girl of ours."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Previous Night_

(This happened in the past but wasn't part of Caitlin's memory because she wasn't there so I didn't put it in italicized print.)

The men didn't notice that Caitlin had jumped out of the trunk. They slowly headed down the deserted dirt road and out towards the river. Before they got close to the river, Tek spotted a car up ahead of them.

"That's a patrol car ahead of us," said Tek. "What are we going to do?"

Shorty slowed down the car and turned off the lights. "We dump them here," he said. "We'll just have to bash the girl's head in."

"I'm not killing a woman," replied Tek. "You're going to have to do it."

"No problem," replied Shorty. "It's just too bad I don't get to have more time with her."

"You're sick," said Tek. "I can't believe we're related."

The two men got out and went to the back of the car. "The trunk's open," said Tek.

"What the hell?" asked Shorty. "Damn it, she got out."

"Let's just hurry up and dump him in the ditch," insisted Tek. "We don't have time to worry about her now."

The two men removed String from the trunk and threw him down in the narrow ditch beside the road.

"Let's go," yelled Shorty as they quickly got back into the car and turned it around, heading back to the farmhouse without the car lights on.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

_Present Time_

Caitlin sat up in the loft window and looked out towards the beautiful scenery that surrounded the cabin. She continued to cry on and off as she thought about what had happened to them.

"Why now?" she thought. "We were just getting things back on track with us and I lose him. It's just not fair."

She heard and then saw Michael's helicopter approach and land. He got out and slowly made his way towards the cabin. Doc opened the door and greeted him when he got to the steps.

"How's Caitlin?" asked Michael.

"As good as can be expected I guess," Doc replied. "It's starting to feel like a morgue in here even though I know Dom is trying to keep it together for Caitlin's sake."

"She's lucky to have the two of you," he replied. "By the way, we found the car they used. It was dumped about a mile away from the farmhouse."

"Any sign of String?" asked Dom as Michael came inside the cabin.

"I'm afraid not," he replied. "There was quite a bit of blood found in the trunk which validates Caitlin's story. My men are headed back down the river to see if they can recover his body."

Dom shook his head. "How could this have happened?" he said growing angry. "All we did was go out and have a few drinks to let off some steam from work. And then there's Saint John. We don't even know what happened to him."

"I don't know Dominick," replied Michael. "But my men are checking the car for prints and hopefully we'll get an idea on who they are and where they might have taken Saint John."

Before Dom could respond the phone rang. Caitlin moved towards the loft stairs in order to hear the conversation.

Dom handed Michael the phone. "It's for you," he said.

"When did that happen?" said Michael after listening a few minutes to the caller on the other end. "Where? I'm on my way."

Michael put down the phone and explained as he headed towards the door. "Apparently, some teenagers found a man in a ditch the other night," he said. "They live in the next county and took him to the hospital over there. There's no ID so the hospital has been treating him as a John Doe."

"You think it's Saint John?" asked Dom.

"Yeah," replied Michael. "I'm on my way to check it out."

"You mean we're on our way to check it out," replied Dom.

"I'm coming too," yelled Caitlin as she made her way down the steps of the loft. The three men looked up at her.

"Are you sure Cait?" asked Doc. "We can stay here and wait."

"No, I need to be there," she softly.

"Okay then," said Michael. "Let's get going."

The four of them climbed into the Firm's helicopter and headed out. Doc leaned over and whispered to Dom. "I'm worried about her," he said softly. "She might be hoping that the man they found is String."

"Hell, I'm hoping that too," said Dom in return. "Not that I don't want to find Saint John. I just want so badly for String to be alive."

"I know," replied Doc. "Just don't get your hopes up."

When they got to the hospital, they asked for the doctor in charge and headed towards the intensive care unit. They were greeted by a Dr. Mallory.

"I sure hope you can identify our John Doe," said Dr. Mallory. "Whoever he is, he's a fighter. He's lost a lot of blood from a gunshot wound to the side but he's still hanging on."

Caitlin turned and looked at the doors leading to the intensive care unit. She pushed past the men and ran through the double doors. Once inside she made her way up and down the narrow walkway that held several beds on each side. When she got to the end she stopped and stared at the pale figure lying in the bed in front of her.

Tears fell down her face as she moved towards him and took his hand. She finally let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding as she spoke to him softly. "You didn't leave me," she said sobbing. "You held on."

Caitlin leaned over and kissed String on the forehead. "Just keep hanging on String," she begged. "I need you so badly."

Caitlin didn't realize that the others had followed her until Dom came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "He's going to make it now," said Dom. "He has to. String didn't make it this far to give up now."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Caitlin held tight to String's hand as the doctor spoke to the others. "He's holding on and is getting stronger by the minute," said Dr. Mallory. "He still has a long way to go in his recovery though. It was touch and go for awhile due to all the blood loss. He was lucky that the bullet went through him and missed all vital organs. That's why he's alive right now."

"He's a fighter," said Dom. "I have faith that he'll pull through."

"Well, I hate to say this but visiting time is limited in this area so you'll need to wait out in the waiting area."

"Dr. Mallory," said Michael. "I was hoping you'd make an exception in Caitlin's case." Michael went on to explain what had happened to them and how String ended up in the hospital.

"That's quite a story," replied the doctor after hearing about all of the events that led them there. "I'll allow her to stay with him as long as she likes."

"Thanks doctor," said Dom with a smile. "I think it will be beneficial to both of them."

Leaving Caitlin with String, the others headed out into the hallway. Marella came up behind them. "Well?" she asked.

"It's String," replied Michael.

Marella let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," she said. "How's Caitlin?"

"She's doing much better now," said Dom. "We all are. Now we need to get Saint John back."

"I have some news," said Marella. "We found several sets of finger prints in and on the car," she said. "It looks like they were picked up by the Anders gang. They are a group of cousins that local law enforcement has been trying to put away for years. So far they have only been able to charge them with things like petty theft and several other misdemeanors."

"Well, you can add murder, attempted murder and kidnapping to those charges now," replied Michael.

"True, "replied Marella. "My news gets better though. That same patrol officer who lives in that area spotted a black van pulling something covered with a tarp the next morning when he was driving his wife to work in her car. It looked suspicious so he decided to follow them. He's been on their tail ever since but had no way to call it in until about an hour ago."

"Where are they now?" asked Dom. "Is Saint John with them?"

Marella shook her head. "It appears so," she replied. "He said that two of them stayed in the van and took turns getting something to eat when they stopped at an old diner. Right now they are just south of the Arizona boarder."

"It's a helicopter," said Caitlin as the others turned around and stared at her. "I remember seeing it in the back of the barn. They are pulling a helicopter. They're going to pick up a large shipment of cocaine."

"Why would they pull a helicopter all the way out there if they plan on flying out of the country?" asked Dom.

"My guess is that someone else is supplying the fuel," replied Marella. "Our men have now taken over and are following them."

"Give us the location," replied Dom. "I think it's time we get the Lady."

"Now hold on Dominick," said Archangel. "These men have proven to be very dangerous. If we go storming in there, they might kill Saint John."

"You know very well that they plan on killing him when they're done with him anyway," said Dom while trying not to raise his voice in the hospital. "I'm not going to leave Saint John out there all alone when we know where he is."

"Okay, okay," replied Michael. "I'm going with you guys. We'll stop them before they head over the border. We already have enough on them to put them away for life as it is. It won't matter if we don't catch them with drugs at this point."

Dom turned and gave Caitlin a hug. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

Caitlin smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm doing a lot better now," she replied. "Go get Saint John back and quit worrying about me."

Marella stayed with Caitlin while the three men left to get Airwolf. "It's almost over," she said to Caitlin.

"I sure hope so," she replied. "This has been one big nightmare that I hope soon to forget."

"You've been through a lot," replied Marella. "I don't think most people could have been so strong."

"I wasn't," said Caitlin. "My mind blocked out everything at first. I'm just glad that I finally remembered it all. What hurts most though is that String was shot defending me after one of them put his hands on me."

Marella sighed. "Sounds like something Hawke would do," she said. "Don't blame yourself for all of this Caitlin. He did that because he loves you but he would have helped anyone in that situation."

"I know," she replied. "It still doesn't make it any easier to accept."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Once air born, Dom and the others headed towards the coordinates they were given by Michael's men. "I hope we can get to them before they're in the air," said Dom. "It's going to be hard to catch them and make them land with Saint John onboard and flying."

"I believe we still have time," said Michael after talking to some of his men. "They are just now starting to fuel up and are making preparations to fly. My men said they're hiding out in an old junk yard. I guess they are trying to be inconspicuous."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The old junk yard is coming up on the right," said Dom. "Let's do a high fly over and see what we can view from out monitors without causing suspicion."

"Will do," said Doc as he climbed in altitude and slowly passed over the area.

"I got him," said Dom. "We might be in luck. Saint John is sitting by himself on an old drum barrel and the others are by the helicopter about forty feet away."

"What do you suggest we do?" asked Doc.

"I say use chain guns and cut a path between them," replied Dom. "Once we have them running in the opposite direction, we can land and get Saint John."

"You got it," replied Doc as he headed back to the junk yard.

The Anders were caught by surprise as Airwolf descended upon them. Saint John had heard the familiar sound of the craft during its first pass and readied himself for its return. He allowed himself to fall backwards off of the drum barrel as Doc made a path of bullets between him and the Anders. The cousins took off running while turning back several times and shooting in helicopter's direction. Doc landed Airwolf and Michael climbed out and ran over to Saint John. "Are you okay?" he asked while helping him to his feet.

"I am now," he yelled back. "Let's get out of here."

The two men quickly climbed into Airwolf and Doc lifted back off. They all watched as Michael's men surrounded the area and took the Anders into custody.

Saint John sat in the back of Airwolf with Dom. Santini put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "It's all over now," he said softly.

"Cait and String," he said sadly. "Shorty Anders said they threw String's dead body in the river and that they drowned Cait."

Doc spoke up. "He lied," he said. "They're both alive. Caitlin's not hurt but String is in the hospital."

Saint John felt all the stress he was feeling fade away. "I can't believe it," he said smiling. "String looked pretty bad. I thought for sure he was dead."

Dom and others filled Saint John in on the events from the time that Caitlin was picked up until they finally came and rescued him.

Saint John shook his head. "I was so intoxicated at first that I thought everything that was happening was a dream. I'll tell ya I sobered up pretty quick though."

"Let's get back and see them," said Dom. "Caitlin will be relieved to know that you're okay."

When the four men got back to the hospital, they were surprised when they encountered a nurse in the intensive care wing that didn't know who String was. "I just got on duty," she said. "He's not on my list. I'm sorry."

"Let's find Dr. Mallory," said Michael. "I hope everything's okay."

The men had the doctor paged and he met up with them a few minutes later.

"Oh, I was trying to reach you," he said.

"Is everything okay with String?" asked Dom. "Why isn't he in the intensive care wing?"

"We moved him," replied the doctor. "He's stable now and I felt it was okay to move him to a private room. Follow me and I'll take you to see him."

The doctor walked down the hall and slowly opened the door to String's room. The others were surprised to see that he was awake but Caitlin was sleeping on her side in the bed with him. She had both her hands around his arm and her head rested up against his shoulder.

String's face lit up when he saw Saint John. "String!" said Saint John as his brother quickly held a finger to his lips. "Shh," he said. "She needs some sleep."

Saint John walked over to his brother's bed and gave him a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay," he said lowering his voice. "It sure didn't look good."

String gave his brother a smile. "It didn't feel so good either," he replied as he looked around at the others who had joined them in the room.

"Guess this wasn't the vacation you were hoping for was it Doc," he asked.

Doc laughed. "Not quite," he replied. "But when is it ever normal around you guys?"

"You got that right," replied Dom. "But, I think we need to get out of here and let them get some rest now."

"I'm ready to get home and get some sleep myself," replied Saint John. "You take care."

As they were all leaving String called out to them. "Wait," he said softly. He waited for them to all turn around before continuing. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," said Michael as they headed out and shut the door behind them.

String sighed as Caitlin snuggled closer to him.

"You're awake aren't you?" he asked.

Caitlin smiled. "Yeah," she replied. "I love them all but I really wanted them to go. I just wanted you all to myself right now. Is that bad?"

String smiled. "No," he said as he kissed her gently on the lips and pulled her closer.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Two Weeks Later

String walked out onto the porch of the cabin and sat down beside Caitlin who had been sitting there watching the sunset. He was wearing a pair of jeans without a shirt. He still had bandages wrapped around his waist to cover his wounds.

Caitlin looked over at him and smiled as he sat down and wrapped his arm around her. "Is everything okay?" he asked. "I heard you on the phone with Michael a little while ago."

"Yeah," she replied. "It will be."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I asked Michael to refer me to a psychologist. I wanted someone he knew he could trust," she said.

"Why?" he asked. "I thought you were doing okay now."

"I'm doing much better," she replied. "It's just that I've been through a lot the past few years and I don't think I've dealt with it all. Instead I just pushed what's happened aside and moved on. I think talking with someone will good for me. I don't want anything in my past to hold me back from my future."

String pulled her to him and kissed her. "Then you do whatever you feel you need to do," he replied. "Just remember that I'm always here for you if you want to talk about anything."

Caitlin smiled. "I know," she said. "I also so know how lucky I am to have you in my life."

"Hey, that goes both ways," replied String.

Caitlin sighed as she watched the last sliver of the sun fade away. She stood up and headed back inside the cabin. String followed her in. "Going to bed so soon?" he asked.

Caitlin cocked her head sideways. "Well, only if you agree to join me," she replied.

String smiled. "Baby, you don't have to ask twice," he said as he followed her up the stairs.

**The End**

_*Thanks so much to those who have taken the time to comment/review. It means a lot and definitely keeps me motivated to write. :o)_


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